{"id":1449835,"date":"2026-05-18T16:12:56","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T15:12:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?post_type=features&#038;p=1449835"},"modified":"2026-05-18T16:12:58","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T15:12:58","slug":"tacticl-analysis-crystal-palace-midfielders-adam-wharton","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tacticl-analysis-crystal-palace-midfielders-adam-wharton\/","title":{"rendered":"Crystal Palace analysis: Why Adam Wharton\u2019s rare goal highlights Oliver Glasner\u2019s midfield masterplan"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>The Crystal Palace fans were in fine voice at Brentford on Sunday.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dango Ouattara\u2019s late goal saw the Eagles forced to share the spoils at the Gtech Community Stadium. It means it&#8217;s not mathematically impossible for them to finish in their customary 12th place. Even so, it was a party atmosphere among the travelling support over the weekend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents yoast-table-of-contents\"><h2>In this article, we&#8217;ll cover:<\/h2><ul><li><a href=\"#h-glasner-s-central-midfield-restrictions\" data-level=\"3\">Glasner&#8217;s central midfield restrictions<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-midfielders-act-as-facilitators\" data-level=\"3\">Midfielders act as facilitators<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-eagles-notoriously-difficult-to-break-down\" data-level=\"3\">Eagles notoriously difficult to break down<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>After all, Palace have a first European cup final to look forward to next week. The south London side take on Rayo Vallecano in the UEFA Conference League for what will be Oliver Glasner\u2019s final game at the Selhurst Park helm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even so, few could have foreseen Adam Wharton of all players getting on the scoresheet in west London. \u201cIf Wharton scores, we\u2019re on the pitch\u201d the Palace fans chanted. While they didn\u2019t immediately hurdle the advertising boards to celebrate the goal, it was a rare moment supporters made the most of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-glasner-s-central-midfield-restrictions\">Glasner&#8217;s central midfield restrictions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When fans got wind that Wharton\u2019s parents were in the crowd, you can be sure they capitalised upon their attendance. \u201cAdam Wharton\u2019s mum\u201d was the chant of choice. After all, these moments don\u2019t come along very often. Wharton\u2019s goal came from his 81st competitive shot since joining from Blackburn Rovers. He marked the occasion with a backflip, pulling out a celebration not witnessed since his Rovers days.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/05\/18155607\/shot_map-player-3-stats-key-1-1-819x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1449839\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/05\/18155607\/shot_map-player-3-stats-key-1-1-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/05\/18155607\/shot_map-player-3-stats-key-1-1-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/05\/18155607\/shot_map-player-3-stats-key-1-1-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/05\/18155607\/shot_map-player-3-stats-key-1-1-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/05\/18155607\/shot_map-player-3-stats-key-1-1-214x267.jpg 214w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/05\/18155607\/shot_map-player-3-stats-key-1-1-160x200.jpg 160w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/05\/18155607\/shot_map-player-3-stats-key-1-1-48x60.jpg 48w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/05\/18155607\/shot_map-player-3-stats-key-1-1-120x150.jpg 120w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/05\/18155607\/shot_map-player-3-stats-key-1-1-59x74.jpg 59w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/05\/18155607\/shot_map-player-3-stats-key-1-1.jpg 1620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>In fact, Wharton\u2019s goal was the first by a Palace player that started a Premier League game in central midfield since Glasner took over in February 2024. No fewer than seven players &#8211; Wharton, Will Hughes, Jefferson Lerma, Daichi Kamada, Cheick Doucoure, Marc Guehi and Justin Devenny &#8211; have all started in the role under the Austrian. Between them, they have managed 157 Premier League shots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, this is completely by design. Glasner doesn\u2019t want his central midfielders to push to high up the pitch in his favoured 3-4-2-1 setup. It runs the risk of the defence being exposed. It\u2019s for that reason that Glasner has routinely favourited two midfielders who can be profiled as a 6 rather than a box-to-box runner alongside a holder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-midfielders-act-as-facilitators\">Midfielders act as facilitators<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>And the two central midfielders provide less a goal threat themselves, and instead look to provide for others. This is evident in that Wharton (1.6), Hughes (1.2) and Kamada (1) rank among the top four players for chances created per 90 for Palace this season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Palace, meanwhile, rank fifth for accurate through balls (33) in England\u2019s top tier this term. Only Bruno Fernandes (15) has made more than Wharton (14) of all players. They facilitate the play rather than look to support the attack. So, for Wharton to get in on the act on Sunday was certainly an anomaly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Indeed, Palace have the seventh lowest possession share in the Premier League this season. They see just 45.6% of the ball. The Eagles don\u2019t dominate opponents in the same way as Manchester City or Liverpool. They rely on remaining compact before springing forward quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n<hr \/>\r\n<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/go\/sky-bet?q=gb-all-soa-bs4-s-spo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sky Bet Offer<\/a>: Get \u00a340 in free bets when you place any bet<\/h2>\r\n<p>Looking for some free bets to boost your betting fund? Sky Bet are offering customers the chance to get \u00a340 in free bets when they sign up and place any qualifying bet.<\/p>\r\n<p><a href=\"\/en\/go\/sky-bet?q=gb-all-con-wof-s-spo\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-1422496\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2023\/11\/06113653\/image-143-1024x290.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"290\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2023\/11\/06113653\/image-143-1024x290.png 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2023\/11\/06113653\/image-143-300x85.png 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2023\/11\/06113653\/image-143-768x218.png 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2023\/11\/06113653\/image-143-1536x435.png 1536w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2023\/11\/06113653\/image-143-400x113.png 400w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2023\/11\/06113653\/image-143-600x170.png 600w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2023\/11\/06113653\/image-143-212x60.png 212w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2023\/11\/06113653\/image-143-150x43.png 150w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2023\/11\/06113653\/image-143-40x11.png 40w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2023\/11\/06113653\/image-143.png 2036w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\r\n<ol>\r\n<li><a href=\"\/en\/go\/sky-bet?q=gb-all-con-wof-s-spo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Sign up at Sky Bet<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0using this link<\/li>\r\n<li>Place a qualifying bet of at least 5p on a single or each way bet at odds of 1\/1 or greater, as your first bet<\/li>\r\n<li>Claim your \u00a340 free bet bonus<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<h5 class=\"bookmaker-row exclusive\" style=\"text-align: center;\" data-filter=\"  all-bookmakers free-bets in-play new-bookmaker world-cup-offers\">18+ NEW CUSTOMERS ONLY. FIRST SINGLE &amp; E\/W BET ONLY ODDS OF 1\/1 OR GREATER. 4 X \u00a310 BET TOKENS. FREE BET STAKES NOT INCLUDED IN RETURNS. FREE BETS ARE NON WITHDRAWABLE. FREE BETS ARE NON WITHDRAWABLE. FREE BETS EXPIRE AFTER 30 DAYS. ELIGIBILITY RESTRICTIONS AND FURTHER T&amp;CS APPLY.<\/h5>\r\n<hr \/>\n\n\n\n<p>Granted, they\u2019re the only Premier League team yet to score a counter-attacking goal this season. However, it\u2019s not for want of trying. 37 shots following a counter attack is the seventh most. A little more composure in front of goal and they would have tucked these chances away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-eagles-notoriously-difficult-to-break-down\">Eagles notoriously difficult to break down<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This does highlight the specific role a central midfielder plays in this Glasner system. So, too, does the fact that Palace are fifth for fewest shots shipped per 90 (11.6) in the division. 49 goals conceded is the sixth lowest haul. Palace are rarely overrun by opponents, and much of that is due to the battling central midfielders under Glasner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While it doesn\u2019t make for great reading that a central midfielder has scored just one league goal since Glasner took charge, it\u2019s all part of the plan. He favours defensive resolve over a gung-ho approach. Only relegated pair Wolves (26) and Burnley (37) have scored fewer goals (40).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fans, though, will hope Wharton\u2019s goal is the beginning of a more-attack minded midfielder. The England international is already one of the best ball-players in the Premier League. All that\u2019s lacking is the goals. It hasn\u2019t been for want of trying. He\u2019s still managed 32 shots this season, the fourth most of all Palace players in the 2025-26 Premier League campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019ll be intriguing to see who Palace bring in next and whether they\u2019ll utilise the central midfielders differently once Glasner departs. Or how a new team maximises Wharton\u2019s immense talent. The former Rovers man is high on wishlists ahead of the summer window, with Manchester United in particular keeping tabs on the 22-year-old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even so, fans welcomed the chance to see Wharton, quite literally, take flight on Sunday. After all, it&#8217;s a moment that doesn&#8217;t come along very often.<\/p>\n\n\n    <div class=\"sq-articles-list\">\n                <div class=\"sq-cards\">\n                                            <article class=\"sq-card\">\n                                            <div class=\"sq-card__thumbnail\">\n                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/argentina-vs-switzerland-penalty-analysis-world-cup-2026\/\" class=\"sq-thumbnail\">\n                                <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/10115150\/argentina-vs-switzerland-penalties-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"Argentina vs Switzerland penalty analysis: Who will win if quarter-final goes all the way?\" \/>                            <\/a>\n                        <\/div>\n                                        <div class=\"sq-card__content\">\n                        <div class=\"sq-card__meta\">\n                            <span class=\"sq-card__label\">Features<\/span>\n                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/argentina-vs-switzerland-penalty-analysis-world-cup-2026\/\" class=\"sq-card__title\">\n                                <h2 class=\"sq-card__title-text\">\n                                    Argentina vs Switzerland penalty analysis: Who will win if quarter-final goes all the way?                                <\/h2>\n                            <\/a>\n                        <\/div>\n                        <div class=\"sq-card__excerpt\">\n                                                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/author\/harry-edwards\/\" class=\"sq-card__link\">\n                                    Harry Edwards                                <\/a>\n                                                        <time class=\"sq-card__label\">2 hours ago<\/time>\n                        <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/article>\n                                            <article class=\"sq-card\">\n                                            <div class=\"sq-card__thumbnail\">\n                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/spain-vs-belgium-stats-world-cup-2026\/\" class=\"sq-thumbnail\">\n                                <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/10104815\/SYMS_SpainvsBelgium-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" \/>                            <\/a>\n                        <\/div>\n                                        <div class=\"sq-card__content\">\n                        <div class=\"sq-card__meta\">\n                            <span class=\"sq-card__label\">Features<\/span>\n                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/spain-vs-belgium-stats-world-cup-2026\/\" class=\"sq-card__title\">\n                                <h2 class=\"sq-card__title-text\">\n                                    Spain vs Belgium Stats: La Roja unbeaten in 35, super sub Lukaku &amp; unstoppable De la Fuente                                <\/h2>\n                            <\/a>\n                        <\/div>\n                        <div class=\"sq-card__excerpt\">\n                                                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/author\/jackkitson\/\" class=\"sq-card__link\">\n                                    Jack Kitson                                <\/a>\n                                                        <time class=\"sq-card__label\">3 hours ago<\/time>\n                        <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/article>\n                                            <article class=\"sq-card\">\n                                            <div class=\"sq-card__thumbnail\">\n                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/norway-vs-england-penalty-analysis-world-cup-2026\/\" class=\"sq-thumbnail\">\n                                <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/10094352\/norway-vs-england-penalties-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"Norway vs England penalty analysis: Who will win if quarter-final goes all the way?\" \/>                            <\/a>\n                        <\/div>\n                                        <div class=\"sq-card__content\">\n                        <div class=\"sq-card__meta\">\n                            <span class=\"sq-card__label\">Features<\/span>\n                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/norway-vs-england-penalty-analysis-world-cup-2026\/\" class=\"sq-card__title\">\n                                <h2 class=\"sq-card__title-text\">\n                                    Norway vs England penalty analysis: Who will win if quarter-final goes all the way?                                <\/h2>\n                            <\/a>\n                        <\/div>\n                        <div class=\"sq-card__excerpt\">\n                                                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/author\/harry-edwards\/\" class=\"sq-card__link\">\n                                    Harry Edwards                                <\/a>\n                                                        <time class=\"sq-card__label\">3 hours ago<\/time>\n                        <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/article>\n                                            <article class=\"sq-card\">\n                                            <div class=\"sq-card__thumbnail\">\n                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/erling-haaland-vs-harry-kane-analysis-world-cup-comparison-matrix\/\" class=\"sq-thumbnail\">\n                                <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/09170820\/feature_image-x-2-purple-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"Erling Haaland vs Harry Kane analysis: Which striker comes out on top?\" \/>                            <\/a>\n                        <\/div>\n                                        <div class=\"sq-card__content\">\n                        <div class=\"sq-card__meta\">\n                            <span class=\"sq-card__label\">Features<\/span>\n                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/erling-haaland-vs-harry-kane-analysis-world-cup-comparison-matrix\/\" class=\"sq-card__title\">\n                                <h2 class=\"sq-card__title-text\">\n                                    Erling Haaland vs Harry Kane analysis: Which striker comes out on top?                                <\/h2>\n                            <\/a>\n                        <\/div>\n                        <div class=\"sq-card__excerpt\">\n                                                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/author\/connorholden\/\" class=\"sq-card__link\">\n                                    Connor Holden                                <\/a>\n                                                        <time class=\"sq-card__label\">4 hours ago<\/time>\n                        <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/article>\n                                            <article class=\"sq-card\">\n                                            <div class=\"sq-card__thumbnail\">\n                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/post-match-analysis-france-vs-morocco-09-07-26\/\" class=\"sq-thumbnail\">\n                                <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/09225111\/KylianMbappe090726_ID3F0T5EN-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"France vs Morocco analysis: Les Bleus showcase variety of attacking solutions against stubborn Atlas Lions\" \/>                            <\/a>\n                        <\/div>\n                                        <div class=\"sq-card__content\">\n                        <div class=\"sq-card__meta\">\n                            <span class=\"sq-card__label\">Features<\/span>\n                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/post-match-analysis-france-vs-morocco-09-07-26\/\" class=\"sq-card__title\">\n                                <h2 class=\"sq-card__title-text\">\n                                    France vs Morocco stats and analysis: Les Bleus showcase variety of attacking solutions against stubborn Atlas Lions                                <\/h2>\n                            <\/a>\n                        <\/div>\n                        <div class=\"sq-card__excerpt\">\n                                                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/author\/connorholden\/\" class=\"sq-card__link\">\n                                    Connor Holden                                <\/a>\n                                                        <time class=\"sq-card__label\">16 hours ago<\/time>\n                        <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/article>\n                                            <article class=\"sq-card\">\n                                            <div class=\"sq-card__thumbnail\">\n                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-chelsea-marco-palestra-new-signing\/\" class=\"sq-thumbnail\">\n                                <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/08192510\/MarcoPalestra210226_ID3ETX0TE-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" \/>                            <\/a>\n                        <\/div>\n                                        <div class=\"sq-card__content\">\n                        <div class=\"sq-card__meta\">\n                            <span class=\"sq-card__label\">Features<\/span>\n                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-chelsea-marco-palestra-new-signing\/\" class=\"sq-card__title\">\n                                <h2 class=\"sq-card__title-text\">\n                                    Chelsea analysis: Why Marco Palestra is Xabi Alonso&#8217;s perfect first signing                                <\/h2>\n                            <\/a>\n                        <\/div>\n                        <div class=\"sq-card__excerpt\">\n                                                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/author\/connorholden\/\" class=\"sq-card__link\">\n                                    Connor Holden                                <\/a>\n                                                        <time class=\"sq-card__label\">22 hours ago<\/time>\n                        <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/article>\n                                            <article class=\"sq-card\">\n                                            <div class=\"sq-card__thumbnail\">\n                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/spain-vs-belgium-penalty-analysis-world-cup-2026\/\" class=\"sq-thumbnail\">\n                                <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/09142325\/spain-vs-belgium-penalties-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"Spain vs Belgium penalty analysis: Who will win if quarter-final goes all the way?\" \/>                            <\/a>\n                        <\/div>\n                                        <div class=\"sq-card__content\">\n                        <div class=\"sq-card__meta\">\n                            <span class=\"sq-card__label\">Features<\/span>\n                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/spain-vs-belgium-penalty-analysis-world-cup-2026\/\" class=\"sq-card__title\">\n                                <h2 class=\"sq-card__title-text\">\n                                    Spain vs Belgium penalty analysis: Who will win if quarter-final goes all the way?                                <\/h2>\n                            <\/a>\n                        <\/div>\n                        <div class=\"sq-card__excerpt\">\n                                                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/author\/harry-edwards\/\" class=\"sq-card__link\">\n                                    Harry Edwards                                <\/a>\n                                                        <time class=\"sq-card__label\">23 hours ago<\/time>\n                        <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/article>\n                                            <article class=\"sq-card\">\n                                            <div class=\"sq-card__thumbnail\">\n                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/france-vs-morocco-penalty-analysis-world-cup-2026\/\" class=\"sq-thumbnail\">\n                                <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/09133027\/france-vs-morocco-penalties-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"France vs Morocco penalty analysis: Who will win if quarter-final goes all the way?\" \/>                            <\/a>\n                        <\/div>\n                                        <div class=\"sq-card__content\">\n                        <div class=\"sq-card__meta\">\n                            <span class=\"sq-card__label\">Features<\/span>\n                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/france-vs-morocco-penalty-analysis-world-cup-2026\/\" class=\"sq-card__title\">\n                                <h2 class=\"sq-card__title-text\">\n                                    France vs Morocco penalty analysis: Who will win if quarter-final goes all the way?                                <\/h2>\n                            <\/a>\n                        <\/div>\n                        <div class=\"sq-card__excerpt\">\n                                                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/author\/harry-edwards\/\" class=\"sq-card__link\">\n                                    Harry Edwards                                <\/a>\n                                                        <time class=\"sq-card__label\">1 day ago<\/time>\n                        <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/article>\n                    <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Crystal Palace fans were in fine voice at Brentford on Sunday. Dango Ouattara\u2019s late goal saw the Eagles forced to share the spoils at the Gtech Community Stadium. It means it&#8217;s not mathematically impossible for them to finish in their customary 12th place. Even so, it was a party atmosphere among the travelling support&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3564,"featured_media":1449836,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Crystal Palace\u2019s draw at Brentford saw Adam Wharton score a rare midfield goal under Oliver Glasner. Here\u2019s why the England star\u2019s strike highlighted Palace\u2019s tactical setup, defensive balance and future plans after Glasner.","footnotes":""},"tags":[],"features-category":[],"squawka-category":[],"class_list":["post-1449835","features","type-features","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":{"external_featured_image_url":"","hide_featured_image_pattern":false},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.1 (Yoast SEO v27.1.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Crystal Palace analysis: Why Adam Wharton\u2019s rare goal highlights Oliver Glasner\u2019s midfield masterplan | Squawka | EN<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Crystal Palace\u2019s draw at Brentford saw Adam Wharton score a rare midfield goal under Oliver Glasner. Here\u2019s why the England star\u2019s strike highlighted Palace\u2019s tactical setup, defensive balance and future plans after Glasner.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tacticl-analysis-crystal-palace-midfielders-adam-wharton\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Crystal Palace analysis: Why Adam Wharton\u2019s rare goal highlights Oliver Glasner\u2019s midfield masterplan\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Crystal Palace\u2019s draw at Brentford saw Adam Wharton score a rare midfield goal under Oliver Glasner. Here\u2019s why the England star\u2019s strike highlighted Palace\u2019s tactical setup, defensive balance and future plans after Glasner.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tacticl-analysis-crystal-palace-midfielders-adam-wharton\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Squawka | EN\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SquawkaFootballNews\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-05-18T15:12:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/05\/18154321\/3EG1TW1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2450\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1633\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@squawka\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tacticl-analysis-crystal-palace-midfielders-adam-wharton\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tacticl-analysis-crystal-palace-midfielders-adam-wharton\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Ben McAleer\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/d83177c024444113f28c89f65fde90b4\"},\"headline\":\"Crystal Palace analysis: Why Adam Wharton\u2019s rare goal highlights Oliver Glasner\u2019s midfield masterplan\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-18T15:12:56+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-05-18T15:12:58+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tacticl-analysis-crystal-palace-midfielders-adam-wharton\/\"},\"wordCount\":846,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tacticl-analysis-crystal-palace-midfielders-adam-wharton\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/05\/18154321\/3EG1TW1.jpg\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"accessibilityFeature\":[\"tableOfContents\"]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tacticl-analysis-crystal-palace-midfielders-adam-wharton\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tacticl-analysis-crystal-palace-midfielders-adam-wharton\/\",\"name\":\"Crystal Palace analysis: Why Adam Wharton\u2019s rare goal highlights Oliver Glasner\u2019s midfield masterplan | Squawka | EN\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tacticl-analysis-crystal-palace-midfielders-adam-wharton\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tacticl-analysis-crystal-palace-midfielders-adam-wharton\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/05\/18154321\/3EG1TW1.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-18T15:12:56+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-05-18T15:12:58+00:00\",\"description\":\"Crystal Palace\u2019s draw at Brentford saw Adam Wharton score a rare midfield goal under Oliver Glasner. Here\u2019s why the England star\u2019s strike highlighted Palace\u2019s tactical setup, defensive balance and future plans after Glasner.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tacticl-analysis-crystal-palace-midfielders-adam-wharton\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tacticl-analysis-crystal-palace-midfielders-adam-wharton\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tacticl-analysis-crystal-palace-midfielders-adam-wharton\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/05\/18154321\/3EG1TW1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/05\/18154321\/3EG1TW1.jpg\",\"width\":2450,\"height\":1633,\"caption\":\"3EG1TW1 Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton celebrates scoring their side's second goal during the Premier League match at the Gtech Community Stadium, London. Picture date: Sunday May 17, 2026.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tacticl-analysis-crystal-palace-midfielders-adam-wharton\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Squawka\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Features\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Crystal Palace analysis: Why Adam Wharton\u2019s rare goal highlights Oliver Glasner\u2019s midfield masterplan\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/\",\"name\":\"Squawka | EN\",\"description\":\"Football News, Stats, and More...\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/d83177c024444113f28c89f65fde90b4\",\"name\":\"Ben McAleer\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ecc09a71c5a7a0a154f65a823b2d57f865ae282917ddd2eadc3272ff5a55348f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ecc09a71c5a7a0a154f65a823b2d57f865ae282917ddd2eadc3272ff5a55348f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Ben McAleer\"},\"description\":\"Ben has over 15 years\u2019 worth of experience in the world of football writing and has previously featured on The Guardian, The Independent, Sky Sports, The Irish Examiner, talksport, and more. Ben is, for his sins, a Tottenham fan with a soft spot for Barnet.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/x.com\/benmcaleer1\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/author\/benmcaleer\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Crystal Palace analysis: Why Adam Wharton\u2019s rare goal highlights Oliver Glasner\u2019s midfield masterplan | Squawka | EN","description":"Crystal Palace\u2019s draw at Brentford saw Adam Wharton score a rare midfield goal under Oliver Glasner. Here\u2019s why the England star\u2019s strike highlighted Palace\u2019s tactical setup, defensive balance and future plans after Glasner.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tacticl-analysis-crystal-palace-midfielders-adam-wharton\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"Crystal Palace analysis: Why Adam Wharton\u2019s rare goal highlights Oliver Glasner\u2019s midfield masterplan","og_description":"Crystal Palace\u2019s draw at Brentford saw Adam Wharton score a rare midfield goal under Oliver Glasner. Here\u2019s why the England star\u2019s strike highlighted Palace\u2019s tactical setup, defensive balance and future plans after Glasner.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tacticl-analysis-crystal-palace-midfielders-adam-wharton\/","og_site_name":"Squawka | EN","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SquawkaFootballNews\/","article_modified_time":"2026-05-18T15:12:58+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2450,"height":1633,"url":"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/05\/18154321\/3EG1TW1.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_site":"@squawka","twitter_misc":{"Estimated reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tacticl-analysis-crystal-palace-midfielders-adam-wharton\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tacticl-analysis-crystal-palace-midfielders-adam-wharton\/"},"author":{"name":"Ben McAleer","@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/d83177c024444113f28c89f65fde90b4"},"headline":"Crystal Palace analysis: Why Adam Wharton\u2019s rare goal highlights Oliver Glasner\u2019s midfield masterplan","datePublished":"2026-05-18T15:12:56+00:00","dateModified":"2026-05-18T15:12:58+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tacticl-analysis-crystal-palace-midfielders-adam-wharton\/"},"wordCount":846,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tacticl-analysis-crystal-palace-midfielders-adam-wharton\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/05\/18154321\/3EG1TW1.jpg","inLanguage":"en-GB","accessibilityFeature":["tableOfContents"]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tacticl-analysis-crystal-palace-midfielders-adam-wharton\/","url":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tacticl-analysis-crystal-palace-midfielders-adam-wharton\/","name":"Crystal Palace analysis: Why Adam Wharton\u2019s rare goal highlights Oliver Glasner\u2019s midfield masterplan | Squawka | EN","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tacticl-analysis-crystal-palace-midfielders-adam-wharton\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tacticl-analysis-crystal-palace-midfielders-adam-wharton\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/05\/18154321\/3EG1TW1.jpg","datePublished":"2026-05-18T15:12:56+00:00","dateModified":"2026-05-18T15:12:58+00:00","description":"Crystal Palace\u2019s draw at Brentford saw Adam Wharton score a rare midfield goal under Oliver Glasner. Here\u2019s why the England star\u2019s strike highlighted Palace\u2019s tactical setup, defensive balance and future plans after Glasner.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tacticl-analysis-crystal-palace-midfielders-adam-wharton\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tacticl-analysis-crystal-palace-midfielders-adam-wharton\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tacticl-analysis-crystal-palace-midfielders-adam-wharton\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/05\/18154321\/3EG1TW1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/05\/18154321\/3EG1TW1.jpg","width":2450,"height":1633,"caption":"3EG1TW1 Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton celebrates scoring their side's second goal during the Premier League match at the Gtech Community Stadium, London. Picture date: Sunday May 17, 2026."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tacticl-analysis-crystal-palace-midfielders-adam-wharton\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Squawka","item":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Features","item":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Crystal Palace analysis: Why Adam Wharton\u2019s rare goal highlights Oliver Glasner\u2019s midfield masterplan"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/","name":"Squawka | EN","description":"Football News, Stats, and More...","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/d83177c024444113f28c89f65fde90b4","name":"Ben McAleer","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ecc09a71c5a7a0a154f65a823b2d57f865ae282917ddd2eadc3272ff5a55348f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ecc09a71c5a7a0a154f65a823b2d57f865ae282917ddd2eadc3272ff5a55348f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Ben McAleer"},"description":"Ben has over 15 years\u2019 worth of experience in the world of football writing and has previously featured on The Guardian, The Independent, Sky Sports, The Irish Examiner, talksport, and more. Ben is, for his sins, a Tottenham fan with a soft spot for Barnet.","sameAs":["https:\/\/x.com\/benmcaleer1"],"url":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/author\/benmcaleer\/"}]}},"yoast_title":"","yoast_description":"Crystal Palace\u2019s draw at Brentford saw Adam Wharton score a rare midfield goal under Oliver Glasner. Here\u2019s why the England star\u2019s strike highlighted Palace\u2019s tactical setup, defensive balance and future plans after Glasner.","yoast_keyword":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/features\/1449835","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/features"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/features"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3564"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/features\/1449835\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1449855,"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/features\/1449835\/revisions\/1449855"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1449836"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1449835"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1449835"},{"taxonomy":"features-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/features-category?post=1449835"},{"taxonomy":"squawka-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/squawka-category?post=1449835"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}